That’s the question we should all ask ourselves before work starts. How can I be better today but at the same time make my day easier? The fact is that many people spend a lot of time at work, and sometimes the time isn’t really well-spent.
If you feel that whatever you try doesn’t work to improve your productivity, it might be time to try a new approach. Here are six ways to get more out of your workday and maximise your achievements:
1. USE YOUR MORNING WELL
The breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you start your day hungry nothing will go right. Therefore, try to eat a healthy and consistent breakfast. Your body is similar to a car and needs fuel to be able to perform at the top level.
2. PLAN & PREPARE YOUR DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE
Experts say that every minute you spend planning ahead saves you 10 minutes in getting work done. In order to become super productive, you should plan ahead and understand what actions you need to carry out the following day in order to prioritise what is most important.
3. USE A TO-DO LIST
There should only be one to-do list and contain all the activities that you need to do that day. You should start first with the most important tasks and work through them making sure to finish each task before starting the next. This is also important when new tasks crop up, don’t just jump onto them, continue to prioritise to be at your most productive.
4. START SAYING ‘NO’
Successful and super productive people are very good at saying ‘NO’! Every time you say ‘YES’ to one task, you are automatically saying ‘NO’ to another. Understand what tasks are going to help you achieve your goals because depending on how you organise your time can have a huge impact on your progression and success within your career.
5. STOP CHECKING YOUR EMAILS
Checking emails can be a huge drain on time, which is why it is important to only check your emails 2-3 times per day (unless you are specifically waiting for something important). By doing this you will be able to spend your day working through the highest priorities on your to-do list.
6. STOP MULTITASKING
Multitasking sounds great, but it’s not productive. In fact, trying to do several tasks at once results in a lack of focus, errors that need to be fixed later and exhaustion. You need to remember that this SIMPLY DOESN’T WORK. According to neuroscience professor Earl K. Miller, ‘multitasking is not humanly possible’. Focus on one task at a time, and you’ll actually end up completing it faster.
